99 percent of forestland covered by protection contracts in Bac Giang

The northern province Bac Giang has signed forest protection or lease
contracts with individuals or organisations for approximately 99 percent
of its forests and forestland with a view to boosting provincial forest
management and protection.

The province has so far transferred
over 30,000 ha of forests to the management boards of protective and
special-purpose forests, while nearly 97,500 ha of forests and
forestland were allocated to households and communities for care and
protection. Meanwhile, almost 17,000 ha were entrusted to the care of
businesses and around 7,600 ha were rented out.

The move is in
line with the national policy to get all economic sectors and
communities to involve in looking after and making good use of forest
and forestland, with the aim of enhancing forest protection while
generating more income for local residents.

Duong Xuan Banh,
Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural
Development, said at the same time, Bac Giang has closely monitored the
management and use of forest and forestland by contractors. He stressed
that those who are found to violate the law or the original agreements
made on the contracts’ purpose and area will lose their licence.

By the end of 2013, the province had 163,100ha of forestland, with a forest coverage of 36.5 percent.-VNA